Page:Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners.djvu/65

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The anger of Darius against the Athenians.

172.Meanwhile it is announced to Darius that Sardis has been burnt by the Athenians and Ionians, and the author of that disturbance, by whose help this was undertaken, is Aristagoras of Miletus. On receiving this news, taking no notice of the Ionians, whom he knew would have to pay a certain penalty, the king is said to have asked, ‘Who (on earth) were the Athenians?’ Then when he had heard, to have demanded a bow, and to have shot an arrow laid on the bow into the air, exclaiming, ‘Jupiter, may I be allowed (may it happen to me) to take vengeance on the Athenians! Having said this, he ordered one of his servants, as often as supper was served up before him, to say thrice, ‘Lord, remember the Athenians.’

XIV.THE CAMPAIGN IN CYPRUS.

Preparations of the Insurgents.

173.Meanwhile these things were done in Cyprus. It is announced to Onesilus, the general of the Cyprians, that Artybius the Persian, with a fleet and a large army of Persians, will come to Cyprus. On ascertaining this, Onesilus the Cyprian sent a herald throughout Ionia, calling the Ionians to his assistance; and the Ionians came with a large fleet without deliberating long about the matter. At the same time as the Ionians arrived, the Persians also, after crossing in ships from Cilicia, marched upon Salamis on foot; but the Phoenicians with the ships sailed round' the foreland, which is called the Keys of Cyprus.

They hold a council of war.

174.This being the state of affairs, the Cyprian despots addressed the assembled leaders of the Ionians as follows:‘We Cyprians allow you, Ionians, to choose with which of the two you wish to fightwith the Persians or with the Phoenicians. Now, if you wish to fight with the Persians in a battle on land, you must, without any delay intervening, disembark from your vessels, and draw up your line of batUe on foot; while we, embarking on board your vessels, must oppose our-